Do You Know Need What You Need when You Bring Baby Home for the First Time?

As the birth of your baby quickly approaches, it's easy to get caught up in the plethora of daily activities and just as easily to overlook some of the essential baby items which will make your child's first days home easy. By slowly purchasing your infant's items before your due date, you'll be able to avoid overlooked items by reviewing your purchases while having plenty of time to procure any forgotten baby goods. Making the transition home from the hospital can be quite pleasing as long as you have a few essential items.

Above all else, you must have a rear-facing car seat. Your baby will not be allowed to leave the hospital without one. It is not necessary to immediately have a stroller to bring your baby home though you may want to consider looking into baby travel systems which provide the required infant car seat and also a stroller which you’ll later need.

Often overlooked by many parents is the value of babywearing. Research has shown that the use of baby wrap and sling-style carriers that keep baby close to mom or dad offer many benefits to the baby’s development. Although these types of carriers are not crucial to baby's arrival day, many parents find it beneficial to begin as soon as possible.

You’ll need to have a place for your newborn to sleep once the baby arrives home. A crib or bassinet and a couple of sets of bedding will be needed. As a bassinet provides a more compact space to which newborns are accustomed and a crib offers roomier for mobility baby's growth, many parents choose to purchase both a crib and a bassinet for their baby. In several weeks to a few months, after your infant has become more acquainted with the outside world, he or she can more comfortably sleep in the crib.

Receiving blankets are excellent for swaddling your baby, as newborns have a difficult time regulating their body temperature. They also come in handy when there's spit-up after a burping. Tightly wrapping your newborn in a receiving blanket offers a comforting sleep at night time and during the day.

Every newborn seems to have an endless appetite and pre-planning for proper feeding is very important. Many of the feeding accessories you need will depend on your choice of breast or formula feeding. In either case, you’ll need some basic items such as bibs, burping cloths and bottles – even with breastfeeding, many mom’s like to store some breast milk for future feedings or letting dad enjoy some feeding time with baby.  For formula feeding, you’ll want to make sure you have at least a couple of weeks of formula prior to baby’s arrival. If choosing to breastfeed, you should consider purchasing a breast pump and nursing pads to comfort sensitive nipples.

For your baby's arrival, you'll also need to have plenty of diapers at home. It's likely that your baby may need a dozen diaper changes each day. You’ll need to determine whether you want to use cloth diapers or disposables. Disposables are the easiest to use but can cost you quite a bit of money over the years you will spend changing diapers. One-size cloth diapers are also easy to purchase and use, but you’ll also need diaper inserts with them. With either option, you’ll need to also have plenty of baby wipes on-hand, changing pad, diaper rash cream, and baby powder.

Basic baby health care items your child will be important to have upon arriving home. A newborn or infant first aid kit, which includes a nasal aspirator, thermometer, and toenail clippers, among other things, is one such item. Be sure to have a baby bathtub, baby shampoo, lotion and hooded towels for a complete bath time experience.

Though baby toys can be extremely fun to pick out, generally, your baby won’t need many toys during the first couple of months, but there are a few worth having upon arrival. Invaluable to your baby's enjoyment are toys which can stimulate his or her senses. It's to begin stimulating your baby's development. Baby's stresses of his or her new living environment can be soothed with the calming sounds of a stuffed toy or mobile that plays soft music.

By covering all of the essentials, you and your baby will find the transition home enjoyable. With a proper understanding as to what's important for baby's first few weeks at home, you'll be able to better plan his or her arrival and reduce your stress. Most importantly, you need to remember that this should be a special event for the entire family so don't let any little oversights from detracting from this memorable time.

About the Author

Maria Cummings is a mom that has devoted herself to helping kids and families in the community. As Manager of Bustling Baby, Maria enjoys sharing her experience of natural parenting with new parents and supports parents in finding the best natural baby products, such as Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers.

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